Born to eat whole, healthy foods from babys first bite

For thousands of years, humans have thrived without “baby food” (which was invented in the late nineteenth century). Think about it: the human race has made it this far largely on whole food. Only in recent decades have we begun overthinking and overprocessing our foods, which has led to chronic dieting, chronic disease, disordered eating, body distrust, and epidemic confusion about the best way to feed ourselves and families. Eating is an innate skill that has been overcomplicated by marketing schemes and a dieting culture. It’s time to leave the dieting culture behind for the whole family. It starts with the baby’s first biteWe are all Born to Eat and it seems only natural for us to start at the beginning—with our babies. When babies show signs of readiness for solid foods, they can eat almost everything the family eats and become healthy, happy eaters in the process. By honoring selfregulation (also an innate skill) and focusing on a whole food foundation, we can foster healthier children, parents, and families.You don’t have to cook another entire meal to feed just baby, nor blend everything you eat into a puree to support healthy growth in an infant. With a little patience, presence, and skill, you can transform nearly any family meal into a babyfriendly food. Who knew a little planning could have the whole family eating together, and better?Aside from the United States, most countries are accepting of babies starting of solids with the foods of the family. With a focus on selffeeding and a babyled weaning approach, nutritionists and wellness experts Wendy Jo Peterson and Leslie Schilling provide agebased advice, stepbystep instructions, help for parents, and easy recipes so you can ensure that your infant is introduced to healthy and tasty food as early as possible.

BORN TO EAT

“Born to Eat answered all my questions about baby-led weaning Leslie and

Wendy Jo will help parents raise children who feel good about food and theirbodies, which is preventative medicine at its best I wish this book had beenaround when my daughter was a baby! Highly recommended for new parents.”

—Katja Rowell, MD, author of Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating

“What comes over in this easy-to-read book is that moving on to solid foodsshould be a positive experience, and that we can trust our babies to know theirown bodies By choosing healthy foods and being present and purposeful atshared family mealtimes, we can feel confident to sit back and let our children

make their own discoveries and decisions—because we are all Born to Eat ”

—Gill Rapley, PhD, coauthor of Baby-Led Weaning

“Born to Eat emphasizes two of the most important aspects of child feeding that

also happen to be lacking in our society today: connection and trust Leslie andWendy Jo combine their professional experience with their parenting wisdom toremind us that feeding our children is supposed to be a simple, fun, and

nurturing experience, rather than one of stress, guilt, and worry Born to Eat

protects a child’s ability to self-regulate their intake and nurtures their innatecuriosity of food For any parents considering the baby-led weaning approach or

overwhelming Read this book and experience the joys of watching your childexplore eating with curiosity and engagement Leslie and Wendy Jo give you theinformation you need and the permission to make it work for your family

through the years.”

—Rebecca Scritchfield, author of Body Kindness

“Born To Eat is a must-read for anyone thinking about trying baby-led weaning.

It's a practical guide that provides simple, actionable steps for each stage of theprocess and addresses all of the common questions and fears that many parents

have.”

—Lindsay Livingston, RD, founder of The Lean Green Bean blog

This book contains suggestions and advice for starting solid foods withyour infant It is not a substitute for medical care or medical advice Allinfants and families are different, so please discuss this process with yourpediatrician and other members of your support team

Copyright © 2017 by Leslie Schilling and Wendy Jo Peterson

Illustrations by Holly Kennedy

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes Special editions can also be created to specifications For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or info@skyhorsepublishing.com

Skyhorse® and Skyhorse Publishing® are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation.

Because of you, we’ve embraced our own good-enoughness knowing that is thesurest way for you to claim your own Never forget that you are fearfully and

favorite baby girls, but also showing the world there are Born to Eat dads, too.

Chapter 16: Lunch BoxChapter 17: Family Dinners

The simple act of eating has become so overly complicated It can be racking simply to attempt to feed ourselves well, much less our children Itdoesn’t have to be that way

nerve-Parents are some of the most talented, selfless, and overwhelmed people outthere We’re parents; we know! What mom, dad, or caregiver wouldn’t want toreduce anxiety around feeding and increase our confidence in nourishing ourkids? As nutrition experts (and moms) who’ve worked in the dietetics field frompediatrics to pro sports, we’re cutting through the hype and fads to make feedingbetter for baby and, hopefully, less stressful for mom and dad We believe that

infants (and adults) are Born to Eat

Born to Eat is a philosophy that we feel supports a lifelong, healthy

relationship with food and body that begins with a self-feeding approach as aninfant This is the process that we use with our own kids not just because itmakes sense and has been around since the dawn of man, but because it has agrowing body of research to support it, as well Infants supported in thisapproach are eating healthy foods and becoming natural eaters most likely withincredible feeding confidence and self-regulation skills We believe that self-feeding whole foods is a successful method Our entire population wouldn’t exist

if it wasn't

In our society, people are constantly bombarded with confusing andconflicting messages from social media, the Internet, well-meaning friends, oreven health professionals We, Wendy Jo and Leslie, have taken the research andcoupled it with our professional and personal experiences to start clearing up thenutritional mumbo-jumbo that can make us overthink food, feeding, and trustingour bodies for a lifetime This is one of the main reasons we decided to write

Born to Eat That, and the fact that we are Born to Eat

Leslie’s daughter was five days old when friends came to visit They didn’t comeempty-handed, either—they came with food, really good food, and the book

Baby-Led Weaning by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett They spoke of how they

were using baby-led weaning with their son, and right away Leslie wasinterested—partly because the thought of making baby food was absolutelydaunting and partly because eating real food (as much as possible but don’t getcrazy) was her motto Being the geeks Leslie and her husband are, they studiedthe emerging research on baby-led weaning and interviewed experiencedprofessionals before starting their daughter, CC, with her first piece of steak,egg, avocado, etc It just made sense: no pricey pastel blenders or purées in icecube trays while baby learns about taste, texture, and develops fine motor skills

by eating whole foods … Where do we sign up?

It’s not easy; learning a new skill never is Leslie’s family is one that likes tocook most meals and sit down to eat together This was a very helpful habitalready in place Regardless, it takes time and it’s messy, but oh so worth it.Today, Leslie’s daughter will eat a brownie or donut and—get ready—leavesome on her plate They have no doubt that allowing her to develop her innatefeeding skills and body trust through a self-feeding approach played a veryimportant role in that

Leslie and her husband were so grateful their friends brought them that book;

it ignited a spark in Leslie because she knew it wasn’t just about the food, butabout the family attitude and behaviors around food that can shape a child forlifetime And that shaping happens mostly at home in the family environmentvery early in life Leslie has spent more than fifteen years working with childrenand adults who never got to develop (or have lost) their own body trust We feel

that this approach can help change that It starts with self-feeding, but the Born

to Eat approach is so much more.

After watching Leslie embark on this journey with CC, and our dietitiancolleague and friend, Rebecca Scritchfield, with her two little ones, Wendy Jowas convinced this journey was for her Like many parents, she was eager to getstarted, chomping at the bit for all the signs of readiness When her daughterturned five and a half months old, they began the journey of self-feeding wholefoods Without giving too much away just yet, Wendy Jo shares that this hasbeen the most rewarding part of parenthood for her family As a nutritionprofessional, food ranks pretty high up there in her household, and they lookforward to mealtimes as a family Now Wendy Jo’s daughter, Miss A, shares in

the joys of eating with the family; whether dinner is Thai, Indian, Mexican, orItalian (her favorite) food, she’s all in With this approach, parents can becomefar more relaxed and baby can take the lead with self-feeding It was apparent to

Wendy Jo and her husband that Miss A was also Born to Eat

Perfectly Imperfect

First off, let’s get something straight: this isn’t a perfect parenting book Nor isthis book a perfect nutrition book We are not perfect parents, and even though

we are nutrition experts, we don’t eat perfectly Like you, we’re parents doingthe best we can What we do promise is to share the best information we have(thankfully not always conventional), comforting steps, nutrition tips, stories,and our own journeys We want your family to feel great about the family platewithout overthinking food Join us as we walk the perfectly imperfect path toparenthood while living in a very nutritionally confusing world We’ll start withour no-nonsense guide to self-feeding beginning at about six months of age, thenwe’ll carry you through the late infant and toddler stages We’ll take the tenets ofbaby-led weaning and self-feeding and guide you through feeding your little one.Our hope is that this process will not only be a liberating experience for you andyour family, but will also help you promote body confidence in your child (andhopefully yourself) You might just get more meals seated at the family tablewhile you’re at it It won’t be perfect, but it will be real

It’s hard out there as a parent We live in a culture of misinformation andshaming; food shaming, body shaming, parent shaming, you name it! If it’s not

eat this to be healthy , it’s here’s the path to a perfect body (which is only an illusion of photo editing) We even hear things like if you’re not eating this (insert fad of the week) or doing this diet, you should be ashamed Let’s face it,

we live in a culture that thinks shaming is a sport (it’s sad and sick) If you’re notdoing what others are doing, then you’re wrong, a hippie, lazy, or just crazy We

absolutely do not want shaming of any kind to be a part of the Born to Eat

philosophy or community For this reason, we feel it’s important for us to share

our definitions of certain words and phrases with you here and throughout the

book We just want you to know where we’re coming from when we use one of

these terms And no matter what, don’t forget this phrase: what you chew is up to you!

B ORN T O E AT B ASIC T ERMINOLOGY

Overly processed food —In our opinion, overly processed foods aren’t even

close to their normal or natural state They have been refined, heavily altered,and/or chemically processed This may be a food (or food-like item) made withrefined flours, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, addedfillers, with the normally occurring fats removed, and so on Our least favorite of

these are the ones dressed up as good for you and sold with a health halo (insert

our angry faces) For example, a pasteurized prepared cheese product and afiber-spiked, sugar-free snack bar are what we would consider an overlyprocessed food

Whole food —Food that’s close to its natural form or with few ingredients.

Like steak—the ingredient is beef We don’t eat perfectly whole foods all thetime, as we mentioned Most of the time, we try to eat mostly whole or low-ingredient foods, but we don’t freak out if there’s a store-bought cupcake at abirthday party We’re eatin’ it!

other restriction and/or ignoring natural hunger and fullness cues for the sheer

purpose of weight loss Dieting is the opposite of the Born to Eat approach If

Self-feeding —The process that allows baby to use their own hands to feed

themselves whole foods similar to what the caregivers are consuming while alsochoosing how much breastmilk or formula is consumed on demand

the science behind a self-feeding or baby-led approach, and tools for preparing

for your Born to Eat journey Part Two has five chapters each devoted to eater

stages from the pre-eating beginner to the advanced eater If you’re little one issix months or sixteen months, there’s a place to jump right in! Part Three truly

brings the Born to Eat approach full-circle It’s not just about feeding a baby; it’s

about a healthy environment for the whole family that fosters body confidence

and trust We’ll guide you toward a Born to Eat mentality for the adults in the

household, help you plan meals, and learn to savor taste and textures as a family

In Part Four, we share our favorite first foods, how to cook and serve them,along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner favorites We’re so excited you’re on thisjourney with us!

“There is no such thing as a perfect parent So just be a

real one."

—Sue Atkins

THE BORN TO EAT FOUNDATION

WE ARE BORN TO EAT

“Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do.”

—Matt Walsh

Leslie and her husband were nervous walking into the pediatric specialist’soffice The last time they were there, their little one, CC, was four months oldand getting her upper lip tie evaluated But at this visit, they were preparing for alecture on common feeding practices They were breaking the mold, goingagainst the grain, and not following the conventional norms of introducing solids

to an infant Their daughter was about seven months old now and eating solidfoods at the family table She was trying and eating the same foods that Leslieand her husband were eating They both expected to be scolded as they waited totell the doctor how they were feeding CC without purées or baby food Instead

of a lecture about purées and textures, he said, “Why would I have a problemwith that? That’s how most the world feeds their children.” Leslie and herhusband just looked at each other in disbelief and excitement

Nothing has ever made so much sense to us Humans have been around forthousands of years We’ve not only thrived, but we’ve flourished All withoutbaby food Think about it: the human race has made it this far, largely on wholefoods Only in recent decades have we begun overthinking and overprocessingour foods, which has led to chronic dieting, chronic disease, and epic confusion

about the best way to feed ourselves and our families We, as humans, are Born

to Eat It’s an innate skill that has simply been overcomplicated and

underappreciated It seems only natural to start at the beginning—with ourbabies For the most part, when developmentally ready, they can eat what we eatand hopefully become healthy, happy eaters, enjoying whole foods in theprocess.

Only in recent decades have we begun overthinking and overprocessing our foods, which has led to

chronic dieting, chronic disease, and epic confusion about the best way to feed ourselves and our families.

Many countries, aside from the United States, feed their babies this way oncethey’re physically and developmentally ready And parents feed using a wholefood or baby self-feeding approach without fear From birth, babies around theglobe are fed in a variety of manners, whether it be the breast, a bottle, pre-masticated food (pre-chewed and fed to baby), food from the hands of acaregiver, or using a spoon Many cultures around the world feed their babieswhat the family is eating and in the same manner There are also places in theworld where families don’t make or have access to baby foods, yet their childrenare still fed and grow

The use and production (or invention) of commercial baby food becamepopular during in the late 1920s There had been no major need for special foodsfor infants since recommendations in those times were not to give solids untilaround one year of age As women entered the workforce, there was a greaterdemand for a convenient way to feed their children The age recommendations

to introduce solids became younger and younger, some even just weeks after

birth By the 1950s, commercial baby food was mainstream and touted to be amore contemporary way of feeding It was often marketed as a superior food towhat parents could make at home Ultimately, commercial baby food became aconvenience item marketed to the modern woman What parent wouldn’t want to

do the best by their baby? The creation and existence of baby food today makessense to us, and we understand why people chose to use certain baby foodproducts Parents and caregivers are busy and want what’s best for their children.But what if we were to hit rewind? What if we returned to an era of no babyfood, where the foods our infants ate were just the same foods that were a part ofthe whole family’s diet? What if we, the parents, provided foods to the familywithout fussing over the freezer trays or expensive pastel blenders? What if thismeant the possibility of better body trust and a healthy relationship with food for

a lifetime? That time is now This is the Born to Eat approach We believe that

it’s less confusing, possibly more nutritious, and even—get ready—easier in thelong run than contemporary and conventional advice

We’re aren’t saying that people who’ve used baby food did something wrong We’re saying there’s another

way.

We believe there’s really no such thing as baby food, or kid food for thatmatter Clever marketing and restaurant menus try their best to convince us asparents that packaged and, much of the time, overly-processed foods are best forour kids It’s also convinced us that kids just don’t like so-called adult, ornormal, foods Many believe it’s normal for kids to live on chicken fingers,French fries, and mac-n-cheese since they simply don’t have the taste forvegetables While we find those foods appealing at times for all ages, this is veryfar from the truth, and we’re excited to correct that notion Don’t get us wrong—there are some great, baby-friendly convenience foods that we use while on the

go or traveling, but for most of our everyday meals, our little ones eat what we

eat It’s the Born to Eat way There are ways we have modified our food

preparation to be more baby-friendly, such as ditching foods with loads of addedsugar or salt, and preparing or portioning the baby plate differently from ours.But, on the whole, what we make for dinner is what the family eats And our

clients have been very happy to learn that there are no short-order cooks in Born

to Eat homes.

“What I realized is that the approach was very natural for both my girls I believe it was the best for my family because it saves time and money, and it enhances our interest in our baby's eating—saying ‘This is grandma’s tuna salad’ meant more to me than ‘Here's the puréed

self-feeding We, Leslie and Wendy Jo, often use the terms baby-led weaning and self-feeding interchangeably There’s some debate about the terms, but let’s not get hung up on that The Born to Eat approach starts with baby self-feeding

with safety precautions and nutrition advice along the way Although feeding is considered nontraditional, it isn’t a new way of feeding It’s been usedfor thousands of years

self-The term baby-led weaning (BLW) was first coined by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett in their book Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods We both found this book very helpful and we were glad to have

had it for a resource Dr Rapley has paved the way for a natural approach tofeeding that focuses on foods of the family table Her book has spurred anemerging body of research, as well Being the foodies and nutrition therapists weare, we knew we wanted to add to these amazing feeding resources anddemonstrate how a feeding approach can impact not just what babies are eating,

but their relationship with food and body for a lifetime.

Like we mentioned, Born to Eat isn’t just an approach to feeding using a

baby-led style or self-feeding techniques—it’s a philosophy As you’ve gathered

by now, we believe humans are Born to Eat There’s a drive to eat as soon as a

baby is born Just watch how a newborn will bob for the breast or bottle withinminutes of birth We are born with innate skills that guide our desire fornourishment In the early years of life, we can take something so beautifullydesigned in nature and support it through nurture likely leading to a healthy,lifelong relationship with food and our bodies

The Born to Eat philosophy starts with a self-feeding baby but encompasses

so much more We feel that any parent, adult, or child can embrace the Born to Eat key values:

1 Eat whole food as often as possible, from the developmentally appropriateinfant through adulthood

apparent We are bombarded with health messages and products that scarcelyresemble the whole food it once was The most common, and deceiving,

three descriptors on a box and sell most anything At first glance, we tend tobelieve what we hear and read is usually true, especially when we respect thesource Why would manufacturers, health professionals, or the media tell usanything but the truth? The short answer is to sell a product Don’t get us wrong

—they’re plenty of caring, up-to-date professionals and quality products out

there—but ultimately, we believe that what you chew is up to you (you’re going

to see that phrase a lot) We could go on and on, but these are our generalguidelines for a more whole-food way of eating

Our bottom line definition for whole, or real, food, is “a food that hasn’t beenhighly processed or made specifically as a diet product or fat-altered food.” Nowall foods are processed in some way to make it to our grocery stores, but whenwe’re talking about highly processed foods, we mean something that has lots ofrefined ingredients and additives A good example is a snack bar, perceived ashealthy with an unheard of amount of fiber that will likely result in spending therest of the afternoon hiding or in the bathroom We say, if you want more fiber,add more fruits and vegetables, not something manufactured to have fiber and

sold with a health halo

When possible, we recommend selecting foods that are whole or ingredient foods as often as you can (many of them don’t have nutrition factslabels at all) A few examples are tomato (ingredient: tomato), steak (ingredient:beef), eggs (ingredient: eggs), or almond (ingredient: almond) You get the gist.Think about shopping the perimeter of the grocery store for fresh, whole foodslike produce, meat, dairy items, bulk items like nuts, oats, quinoa, etc Althoughthere are many whole foods throughout the grocery, like in the canned andfreezer sections, we like to start with the perimeter

single-Next, we try to buy items we can’t or don’t make with few ingredients Forexample, we don’t make butter, but we sure eat loads of it Yes, you read thatright Butter Ingredients: cream and salt We’re totally down with that! A fewexamples of low-ingredient items would be cheeses, yogurt, nut butters, crackerswith few ingredients, and so on

We also like to choose whole, regular-fat foods We’re not sure that the whole

fat debate will ever be over—whole fat versus low-fat versus no-fat The Born to Eat team chooses whole fat yogurts, whole fat cheeses, and whole fat milks We

don’t buy defatted peanut butter, fat-free cheese (it’s shiny—ew), or low-fatbreads Fat is crucial for development, hormone production, and even aids in ourbody’s natural capacity to regulate hunger and fullness Low-fat and fat-freeproducts are generally full of things like added sugar and other fillers to make upfor the flavor power of the missing fat This often results in more processing and

additives and possibly eating far more because we’re not satisfied We use thereal deal when available and feel that although conventional recommendationshaven’t caught up (and there are many possible reasons for that), the research isthere to support using whole, regular foods. 1 Professor of pediatrics at HarvardMedical School and Boston Children’s Hospital David Ludwig wrote this in anarticle on CNN.com 2 “Responding to new evidence, the 2015 USDA DietaryGuidelines lifted the limit on dietary fat, unofficially ending the low-fat diet era.But you’d never know it, because a full accounting of this failed experiment hasnot been made.” So, we’re going to stick to full-fat, regular products wheneverpossible.

We don’t do diet food.

We love to say eat real food, but don’t get crazy! It’s a most of the time way of

eating, or 80/20 approach with the foods we eat This means that, most of thetime, you plan for and fuel with high-quality whole foods So when you’re atthat birthday party having a cupcake or a slice of pizza you didn’t make, it’s not

a problem We sit down and enjoy that cupcake, too! However, if you findyourself digging through the trash at said party to inspect the ingredients on thecupcake package—that’s what we mean by crazy Now this is not talking about a

parent of a child with allergies Rest assured, if we were at that party, we'd be

digging in the trash along with you!

Honor and support self-regulation of

body nourishment

We’ve all experienced feelings of physical hunger Our stomach may growl, wemay feel a bit off, or we may have this gentle sensation of emptiness It’s alsosafe to say that most people have experienced being satisfied, or getting justenough at a meal and feeling the need for more food a couple hours later On theflip-side, many, if not all of us, have probably experienced that overly, almostsick, full feeling—like Thanksgiving after dessert Watching an infant turn awayfrom food, push food away, or purse her lips to refuse food is a visual sign of

this amazing, innate self-regulation skill This is our favorite no because they are

demonstrating that they’re tuning into their bodies, and we are honoring their

fullness Supporting a child with self-feeding, or allowing the infant to honor

their own hunger and fullness cues, is called responsive feeding We feel it can

support lifelong trust in one’s body along with feeding competence

In our fast-paced and, unfortunately, dieting-obsessed society, we often ignoreand distrust our own intuitive cues to feed ourselves We believe in fosteringself-regulation in our children and as adults even if we have to relearn it There’s

no room for dieting or restrictive behaviors in a Born to Eat home.

We don’t believe in or recommend dieting Dieting is a predictor of disordered eating practices and becoming

10

Be Present and Purposeful with Food

We believe the food we choose to eat is worth our full attention When we’represent with our food, we can appreciate how it makes us feel It can make usexperience pleasure with taste or texture and then satisfied when we’ve hadenough If we’re present, which means no distractions like the television,

emailing, social media, games, etc., it allows us to truly enjoy food, bothphysiologically and psychologically We also believe that part of the satisfactioncomponent of eating is to experience pleasure, whether it is to satisfy hunger orexcite our taste buds Being purposeful with food means spending some time toplan eating experiences like meals and snacks You don’t have to get allspreadsheet on us, but it’s a good idea to know what’s on the menu for dinner Itcan impact eating and feeding choices all day long.

A little planning can allow for learning the many aspects of food, such as thenourishment certain foods provide, as well as appreciating and accepting avariety of flavors Is the food spicy, sweet, smoky, bitter, or tart? So often, we gothrough a meal and never give a moment’s thought as to what we’re really

tasting—not just eating, but truly tasting the food in front of us This is presence

with food We’re consistently coaching our clients to tune out of their jobs whenpossible and actually take a lunch We frequently recommend moving away fromthe television or computer screen to tune into the food so we can experience andtaste the food in front of us On the flipside, it’s just as important that we giveourselves permission to step away from a food if it really isn’t that satisfying.That can only be accomplished when we’re present with our food and the eatingexperience

We’re excited to share our three-bite food exploration activity in chapter 13 ,which will walk you through how to tune into your food so you can share it withyour little ones The earlier babies begin to experience flavors and textures, thegreater the likelihood they’ll try new foods in the future And we don’t believe

that gross and yucky are food descriptors Our presence and purpose with foods

help model and empower our little ones to trust their own self-regulation skillsand seek the pleasure of food to satisfy physiological hunger

Support a Healthy Body through Body Confidence, Trust, and Gratitude

It’s hard to ever feel like you're on a healthy path if you believe there’ssomething wrong with how your body works Like we’ve mentioned, we’re bornwith skills we need to regulate our bodies Not feeling able to self-regulate,either as a result of dieting or simply not paying attention to our food, canundermine our body confidence over time This is the ultimate setup for a veryunhealthy relationship with food and our bodies We want to make every effort

to nip that from infant feeding going forward, and that’s why we think the Born

to Eat approach, which includes the entire family, can make such an impact.

When we have confidence that our bodies have what it takes to self-regulatethings like the need for food (hunger), the cue to stop eating (satiety), or the needfor sleep (getting tired), we don’t look for external ways to control our bodies.Having this type of body confidence early in life lays the foundation of bodytrust When we trust that our bodies can guide us, we aren’t as likely to seekexternal means of control (like dieting and dieting behaviors) because we’ve hadyears of experience of our bodies doing just what they were meant to do—self-regulate

As parents and caregivers, it’s important to foster that inner trust in our infantsand children, whether that means letting them stop eating after only a couplebites of food or being up front about what’s in front of them We also have anhonesty policy when it comes to eating and food Trust is crucial to anyrelationship, and that includes the ones we have with food and our bodies We’renot going to tell you to hide foods or be deceptive about what you’re putting onthe plate; this doesn’t allow for a trusting relationship with food and cansabotage the child-caregiver relationship down the road Now, we aren’t tellingyou to sit your six-month-old down and tell them about every ingredient in thefood But as our little ones grow, there’s nothing wrong with describing to themwhat they’re eating and all the cool stuff it can do in their bodies We don’t have

to assume they’re not going to like something (like vegetables) and add aminuscule amount to a recipe That’s not what we’d consider a win and won’tearn their trust in feeding

Trust is crucial to any relationship, including the one

we have with food and our bodies.

When we begin to understand what the food in front of us can do for ourbodies, we have an opportunity to also teach and express gratitude Gratitude forwhat we have in front of us—like a warm meal, family and friends, a table to eat

at, or a variety of foods—can give us and our kids a positive perspective aroundfood Gratitude doesn’t stop at the dinner table, but it’s a wonderful place for it

to start Practicing gratitude helps us appreciate our amazing bodies, and how wedigest and utilize nutrients from every bite of food we eat The energy we gainfrom food is what fuels our lives It supports our play, going down a slide,jumping up and down, helping others, learning, reading a bedtime story, or

giving a giant hug Practicing gratitude is a part of the Born to Eat approach.

Both of us are grateful So very grateful We’re grateful that we’ve used,

curated, and reaped the benefits of the Born to Eat approach in our own lives And we’re grateful that you are holding Born to Eat in your hands right now It’s our hope you’ll share in the joys of the Born to Eat approach.

2 David Ludwig, “Doctor: Low-fat Diets Stuffed with Misconceptions,”

CNN.com , October 6, 2016, accessed October 6, 2016,

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/05/opinions/debate-low-fat-diet-ludwig/index.html

Wendy Jo watched her little girl, beneath a yogurt-smothered face, work onchewing, eating, and gagging on a cooked pear wedge Talk about nerve-racking! Little A made some gagging noises (thank goodness), had a full gageffect, spit out the pear, and then proceeded to grab her next piece Meanwhile,Wendy Jo was sitting on her hands with her eyes glued to Little A, trying to

coach her to chew, chew, chew Even as a trained professional in food and

nutrition, Wendy Jo still had to calm her nerves, hide her own fear, and give herdaughter the opportunity to learn on her own This would not be the last time inlife she’d have to watch her daughter navigate challenges on her own, so perhaps

it was a good thing Wendy Jo started training herself right away The good news

is that with every meal and every bite, Little A gained confidence and skill, and

so did her mama

Feeding ourselves can be tricky at times Feeding our kids the right food, atthe right time, with the right texture—that can be downright overwhelming.We’d be lying if we said it wasn’t scary for us, even with our nutritionbackgrounds They’re our little ones—our beautiful and amazing kids We wantthem to be healthy, safe, and well That’s why we both decided to study and usethe baby-led style or self-feeding approach with our infants In our study, wefound that not only can this approach be an appropriate feeding method for mostinfants, but it may also be associated with lower maternal anxiety about thefeeding process. 1 Yes, please! We both signed up for less anxiety!

Babies take their time They’re watching you eat, and learning with every bite

If a person is constantly in a rush or finds themselves distracted duringmealtimes, it could spell trouble down the road If your skin crawls when a messoccurs, or you jump with every piece of dropped food, you may want to eitherrescue a dog (the best food vacuum cleaners on the planet) or perhaps choose adifferent feeding approach Of course we’re kidding, but the truth is thisapproach is messy at first In our own experiences, we’ve found that kids who’veused this approach have better use and control of their spoons and forks at anearly age The mess is huge, but short-lived, and our dogs sure enjoy the treatstheir two-legged siblings drop their way

Beyond the mess potential, you can find some information out there that

scares parents and discourages starting the baby-led or self-feeding process Wediscovered it in the midst of supporting self-feeding with our own kids aspracticing and experienced professionals It was important for us to rememberthat change isn’t necessarily wrong, but it’s almost always scary.

Research suggests that most healthy full-term infants

do not need the addition of complementary foods until about six months of age. 2 When developmentally

appropriate, most infants appear to be ready for self-feeding, or baby-led weaning.

Whether we’re talking to parents or professionals or reading the research, themain fears for using this approach are choking, the potential to miss the keynutrient iron, and slower growth patterns. 3 Let’s face it, there are somechallenges when it comes to baby-led weaning, just like with any type offeeding We feel the benefits far outweigh the potential risks, or concerns, andwe’re going to address each of those concerns using the emerging research on

this feeding method It’s also important to note that emerging research has not validated those possible risks They’re simply concerns or fears, albeit valid

ones, that we will address

The potential benefits don’t just end at food for the family (and the familypet) We feel that using a self-feeding approach is more economical and couldeven have a positive societal impact, as well If you’re like us, you probably like

to save money, you want to buy foods that feed the family (not just baby), you’dabsolutely want to skip out on being a short-order cook, and you want to fosterfeeding skills and body confidence in your child And, if you’re like us, baby-ledweaning or a self-feeding approach may be the perfect fit for you and yourfamily

It’s not just that a self-feeding, or baby-led, approach makes incredible sense to us; it’s that emerging levels

of research suggest that an approach like this has the potential for lifelong benefits around eating and food

Improved Feeding Skills and Confidence

The self-feeding approach can promote the learning of chewing beforeswallowing From the start, babies who self-feed chew or gum food first, thenswallow By doing so, they learn to recognize their gag reflex and continuechewing before swallowing A baby who is being spoon-fed and starts with

purées is likely learning to swallow first without the opportunity to practicemanaging foods or textures at their own pace Additionally, the spoon-feedingprocess doesn’t allow for exploration of baby’s own normal and maturing gagreflex, particularly if the caregiver is in control of the spoon.

“There is neither rational nor research to support the use of purées or spoon-feeding for normal, healthy six- month-old babies Babies of this age are keen to be independent and to use the skills that they are

developing Six-month-olds who resist being spoon-fed are displaying normal behavior and following their

of the gag reflex that normally shifts from the front of the tongue toward theback of the tongue Jacqueline has used self-feeding and baby-led weaningmethods with many infants and even those who have some feeding difficultiesand developmental delays She suggests, and we support, that it’s important to beopen-minded about the feeding approach for every child, even if that meansusing self-feeding strategies, spoon-feeding strategies, or a combination of both

to meet the needs of the child

One of the primary concerns with the baby-led weaning method (or any

feeding method, really) is choking Choking is not something we, or any healthprofessional, take lightly And across the board, this is the most common fear wehear from fellow parents and health professionals It’s important to note thatmany parents are unsure of the difference between a normal gag reflex and achoking event We get how scary it can be just to watch your child gag the firstcouple of times We both had to sit on our hands as our babies learned tonavigate through a gag However, it’s critical as a parent of a newborn, toddler,

or child to know the difference between choking and gagging We’ll clear upthose differences in the next chapter In cases where choking was reported,regardless of the feeding strategy, it was almost always related to specific foods

In chapter 5 , we’ll list foods that have been noted to increase the risk forchoking and textures that may pose a problem As we progress, we’ll evensuggest when to introduce them Feeding our little ones requires time andpresence, no matter the feeding method

It’s not just parents who are cautious about this approach In one studyassessing the attitudes of healthcare professionals and mothers toward baby-ledweaning, researchers found that some healthcare professionals believed theremay be benefits of baby-led weaning, such as supporting self-regulation, yetthey still had an attitude of concern about the potential increased risk of choking,iron deficiency, and lower intakes. 6 However, few of those healthcareprofessionals had actual involvement or experience with the baby-led weaningapproach On the other hand, the parents who successfully used this methodreported no major concerns and suggested that they would highly recommend it

to other parents A negative attitude toward, or inexperience with, the methoddoesn’t make it an invalid option Like the parents in the study, we felt it wasworth exploring and using with our own children Thank goodness, all of thepediatricians and pediatric specialists we encountered through our journeys did,

as well

Emerging research is helping calm some of these fears A new study published

in Pediatric s, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests that infants using a supported baby-led weaning approach were no more likely to choke than infants using more traditional feeding methods. 7 Anyfeeding method can result in choking, but parents can be educated to help reducethe risk We acknowledge as parents and nutrition professionals that every child

is different, temperamentally and developmentally, and will learn and grow at adifferent pace As a parent, it will be up to you and those in your circle of trust tomake that call for your little one Both of us started with whole foods where ourbabies self-fed; however, we also allowed our babies to self-feed purée-like

The Potential for Fewer Weight Concerns

As we mentioned earlier, one concern about the baby-led style or self-feedingapproach is a slowed growth pattern or lower weight-gain progression We’re notcompelled to believe this is necessarily a bad or good thing While baby is beingallowed to self-regulate and learning to eat, we believe that the growth patterncould be exactly on course for that particular child (providing they’redevelopmentally appropriate for self-feeding) Just like adults, babies come in allshapes and sizes, and that’s normal So we’re not sold on this particular concern.While we don’t believe that weight is a good indicator of health or healthybehaviors in adults or children, we understand the necessity of weight as abenchmark for measuring growth and development in infants and children Onestudy that noted the concern that babies using the baby-led weaning style offeeding had slower weight gain or lower body mass indexes (BMI) also reportedthat the infants who were spoon-fed gained weight at an above-average rate. 8Just like we don’t use the number on the scale as a predictor of one’s health, wedon’t believe the BMI is a useful tool for that either The BMI is a measure ofone’s height in relation to weight It does not take into account one’s actual bodycomposition It may be a useful tool for studying populations but not necessarilyfor making individual recommendations, whether for an adult, a child, or aninfant

Across the studies we reviewed, there was a common reporting that,regardless of how baby is fed, via spoon-feeding or through a self-feeding style,introducing solids or complementary foods too early (at or before four months ofage) may result in an increased risk for childhood weight concerns TheAmerican Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization

recommend to start complementary feeding around six months of age when the

infant is developmentally appropriate and the gut is mature enough to acceptsolids We recommend starting a self-feeding approach at the same time usingthe same developmental markers that we’ll cover in chapter 5

According to the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS, 2002),developmentally appropriate infants given the opportunity to self-regulate theirenergy intake will do so. 9 We feel that infants using this approach not only

typically excel in food variety, eating skill confidence, and self-regulation, 10 butthey may also struggle less with weight concerns later in life As nutritiontherapists and registered dietitians, we’ve seen what not having the ability toself-regulate or trust one’s body can do to a person We feel using this approach

And Leslie’s motto just happens to be eat real food, feel real good ™—but don’t

get crazy

We promise eating more real, whole food doesn’t mean going to live on a farm and cultivating it all yourself We

live in the real world, too.

One of the main concerns with the baby-led weaning method is potential foriron deficiency when beginning complementary foods According to the WorldHealth Organization’s official website, “the transition from exclusivebreastfeeding to family foods—referred to as complementary feeding—typicallycovers the period from 6–24 months of age.” 11 Generally, approximately six

month of age is when a breastfed baby has possibly depleted their available ironstores deposited in the last trimester of pregnancy and must add iron-rich foodsinto their diet The amount of actual milk feedings shouldn’t decrease when solidfoods are introduced around six months of age This is why the term is

complementary feedings While formula-fed babies still get iron from their

formula, starting complementary foods with iron-rich options provides other keynutrients, as well Regardless of the milk source, we believe this is the next step.And, don’t fret! We’ll arm you with a list of foods in chapter 5 along with easyrecipes that will help you get iron-rich foods in front of the whole family

For years, many have recommended giving infants iron-fortified infant cereal

as a first food This is based on tradition and not medical evidence Many of

these recommendations have lingered from previous guidelines that includedfeeding infants at approximately four months old when a purée (which isn’t asolid) was needed due to the lack of chewing and feeding skills Given thatdevelopmentally appropriate six-month-olds can accept prepared solid foods,there’s no reason they can’t have foods naturally high in iron like beef and eggyolks Parents embracing this approach can provide these foods as daily options

Nutrient quality isn’t just an iron issue For example, if a family struggles toget in ample protein or a nutrient-dense diet, it’s likely the vitamins and mineralsthose missing foods provide are being left out of baby’s diet, as well If a familydoesn’t plan meals, it’s possible convenience items will be the most commonfood selected However, planning to use a self-feeding approach may ensure thatbaby is getting the necessary nutrients; just the simple act of planning andpreparing to add these complementary foods may assist the whole family ineating better with more balanced meals.

As moms, and nutrition professionals, we want what’s best for our children

and clients We feel that the Born to Eat approach allows for feeding skill

development more quickly than beginning with a puréed-only phase and that theinfants who are self-feeding are likely to have greater eating confidence andtrust When eating based on their own internal regulation systems, they learn toeat just enough for their bodies Overall, we feel this approach can help preventdieting behavior for the whole family, which could help prevent a lifetime ofbody distrust and weight concerns By honoring self-regulation, an innate skill,and focusing on a whole food foundation from the developmentally appropriateinfant through adulthood, we can foster healthier children and families using the

Born to Eat philosophy.

The Born to Eat team wants this for your baby, your family, and our own

families We want this for our society Body trust and confidence shouldn’t be

uncommon This is why Born to Eat is not just about self-feeding; it’s a

complementary feeding,” BMC Pediatrics 15 (2015): 179,doi:10.1186/s12887-015-0491-8.

4 See Reference 1

5 Gill Rapley, “Baby-led weaning: transitioning to solid foods at the baby’s

own pace,” Community Practitioner 84 (2011): 20–3, date accessed Oct 4,

Eating Solids and Risk of Choking,” Pediatrics (September 2016):

, date accessed Oct 4, 2016

BORN TO EAT BUILDING BLOCKS

“It’s not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make

them successful human beings.”

—Ann Landers

Our friend, Julie, said that her experience with self-feeding was one of fear andchickening out She wished she had a better story to share With baby numbertwo on the way, she’s planning to do things differently At the time she wasbeginning to feed her first daughter, the pediatrician she was seeing was verynegative about the baby-led weaning process (they’ve since changed) And shedidn’t know many people who had any experience with it The first time herdaughter gagged, Julie and her husband got scared and immediately threw in thetowel She says that she wishes she would have kept going now, as feeding herdaughter and getting her to eat nutritious foods has been a challenge She saysher daughter isn’t the worst eater and that she accepts a variety of foods, but shedoes run into problems when things are mixed together, or part of a family meal

or dish, or foods that are seasoned Her daughter prefers to eat most of her foodsseparately, making cooking for the family more stressful and challenging Nowshe wonders if sticking with the self-feeding process would have made adifference for her daughter and her cooking times

Julie says it’s her hope that baby number two will be different now that shehas more confidence with the process She’s watched many friends embrace theapproach with so much success The first time around, she had so many fears